Ichthyophthirius multifilliis

[Johnc]

Does anyone know how long the trophozoite stage (the visible phase) of the Ichthyophthirius multifilliis protozoan lasts at 27-30 degress C.?

I have always assumed it to be one or two days, but would like to know the timing more precisely to treat ich precisely. Can anyone point to a chart somewhere?

/John

[benny]

Hi John,

I recall reading it somewhere, but don't have access to the literature at the moment (actually till 7 Nov).

Doing some indepth study or trying to salvage a situation?

Cheers,

[Johnc]

More for the study... I had an outbreak in my tank earlier after failing to quarantine some feeder red mollies which I bought to do surface skimming. Big mistake... the surface scum cleared over night but within a week, there was a ich outbreak .

I did the cycle treatment -- Dose 2 days, wait 4 days, dose 2 days, and the spots cleared. Only casualty was a corydaras which turn blue and died!

But i understand that the ich trophont can actually survive for months in the tank (and they are not affected by medication). So with the cold weather these few weeks... I am preparing for a possible recurrence.

/John

[barmby]

John, need no worry. Nothing should happen to 'senior' fishes in your present setup, because they are 'used' to it UNLESS fishes are stress for unknown reason.

Try not to add new fishes during the cold weather. It will happen again. The new fish will probably start the ball rolling..

Maintaining the tank temp at 30 deg C. You will sleep well

[Johnc]

Hmm... I read about immunity for fishes that has already been infected before, but have not proven it myself.

I have some young fishes (mollies and harlequins)... part of spawns that escaped the jaws of the Badis badis.. I'm concerned that these might start the ball rolling again.

My plants don't do so well at 30 deg C. So I try to maintain the temperature at about 27-28 deg C, but it drops to below 27 on cold days - stressing the fish and cheering the ich parasites.

/John

[sage08]

I had a batch tht was wiped out by ich due to new tank effect. There were a number of survivors. Recently i bought a batch of 10 cardinals and i spotted one or two with white spots. I threw them in anyways together with the water in the bag. Sure enough, white spots spread but not as drastic. The survivors were basically unscathed!!

I controlled it by raising the temp to 30-31 degrees and dousing mellafix for 1.5 weeks. Altough mellafix is not well known to control ich but it worked for me. All the fishes n shrimps survived but the 3 ottos probably succumbed to the heat. Now ich is gone and my fishes is happily swimming ard with immunity to ich...

[barmby]

My plants don't do so well at 30 deg C. So I try to maintain the temperature at about 27-28 deg C, but it drops to below 27 on cold days - stressing the fish and cheering the ich parasites.

/John

You are right. Don't you think it is better to toggle with temperature than adding the "blue" medication? Plants react more poorly to medication than higher temperature.

Planted tank is very very troublesome. Plants love cold temp but most tropical fish enjoyed higher temp (result in spawning), less outbreak such as fungus and ich.

[Johnc]

Hmm... I did not have much problem with most of the plants the last time I added medication... only one of the crypts suffered.

As for temperature... I may be wrong, but i have always thought that the ich parasite actually does not die off at 30 degrees. What happens is that its lifecyle is accelerated so that the tomites must take a shorter time to find a host... which means it is much less likely to infect the fish.

Something still need to be done to eliminate the parasites from the tank. But of course, if it is true that the fish acquire immunity after one attack... then it would be no problem until new fishes are added into it.

/John

[barmby]

I see. You want to eliminate the parasites. Usually I go at 32 deg C. The cardinal tetras seem ok. The shrimps may not be able to take the heat.

[Johnc]

Hmm... are the parasites eliminated at 32 deg C? If so, it is something worth considering, though I must still consider about the plants and other occupants of the tank. Not sure what 32 deg will do to the corys, loaches, invertervrates, pellia, Taiwan moss, crypts...

Though I would give priority to the fish, I am loath to see the plants destroyed.

/John

[barmby]

I am not sure. And I have no wish to lie to you.

[Johnc]

Thanks, appreciate your frankness.

Wonder if anyone has done experiment or research on the matter though.

/John

[sonique]

is ich the little white spots found on fishes?? i saw a few white spots on my rummy nose tetra....wat medication u guys use...? do i need to separate my fishes frm my tank if i were to dose the medication..?